Lenakakya School Project
The Lenakakya school was established in 2015 with the goal of providing affordable, high-quality education to the children of Ivuuni village in Mutito North Subcounty, Kitui County. This village is a semi-arid place, and the community is fairly poor, to the extent that they cannot afford the construction of classrooms. Making matters worse, the nearest school is about 12 kilometers away. It is because of this that Professor Patrick Maluki, in conjunction with a group of donors known as the Ivuuni Champions, donated 10 acres of land and initiated the Lenkakya school construction project.
The name, Lenakakya, was the name of Professor Maluki’s mother, who sadly passed away. It was her aspiration for children’s education that motivated the idea for the school project. Mrs. Lenakakya believed that every child, regardless of their location or background, deserved a reliable education in a safe and comfortable environment. Therefore, in her honor, the school was named after her. This school became the flagship project for the PEACE NGO, which was founded and run by Professor Maluki.
In 2015, Professor Peter Kagwanja oversaw the first funds drive, during which approximately Ksh 200,000 was raised. The money was used to construct the first structure in the school compound. This was complemented by additional donations from PEACE, and in 2017, the school was opened to the public for enrollment. In January 2017, the school was established as a public primary school, with 20 students enrolled in the ECDE (Early Childhood Development and Education) class. Out of these, 14 were girls and 6 were boys. The standard one class had 22 pupils, comprising 14 boys and 8 girls.
In May 2017, the school increased in classes and pupils:
- ECDE had 20 pupils: 6 boys and 14 girls
- STD 1 (Standard Class) had 13 pupils: 7 boys and 6 girls
- STD 2 had 14 pupils: 6 boys and 8 girls
- STD 3 had 8 pupils: 3 boys and 5 girls.
The school was officially registered as a public institution in 2018. This resulted in the KTSC (Kenyan Teachers Service Commission) posting Mr. Alfred Mureithi as the first head teacher in 2018, and since then it has maintained over 5 TSC teachers in the school. However, there are currently only 4 TSC teachers.
Since then, the school has benefited from the support of several well-wishers who have undertaken infrastructural development. They have come through the PEACE-organized annual school visitations, where the Ivuuni Champions, a group of consistent donors to the project, invite prominent persons to preside over the fundraiser.
Some of these people include:
- Professor Peter Kagwanja in 2015
- Honorable Arap Kipruto Kirwa in 2018
- Rose Kuraru in 2019
- Victor Momanyi in 2021
- Beatrice Irangi in 2022
- Professor Philip Mutisya in 2023
- Honorable Francis Atwoli in 2024.
Through these donors, the school has constructed 7 permanent classrooms with doors, windows, and cemented floors. Two of the classrooms have tiles. There is also a head teacher’s office with a room to serve as a bookstore. There are two pit blocks for pit latrines, one for the teachers and the other for pupils. Additionally, the school features an administration block for the deputy head and class teachers.
Through the donors, a permanent fence was installed around the school. It is made of barbed wire with a metallic gate. In 2013, the Kenya Library Services donated 200 books to our school. Other donors have provided our pupils with school uniforms and foodstuffs. We have planted both fruit trees and shade trees within the compound.
Courtesy of the Lenakakya Ivuuni project, the government constructed a 30-kilometer road linking seven primary schools from Kavati through Itanagani, Ivuuni, Kitivo to Kalamisi in Mwingi Central Sub-county.
The current enrollment in the school is: Grade 1 to Grade 6 pupils are 45 in total, while PP1 and PP2 classes have 20 pupils for a total of 65. Out of these, 7 pupils will sit for the Grade 6 exam and join the JSS (Junior Secondary School).
To address the number one challenge to the school and community —water—we have initiated a school borehole drilling project. We are currently in the process of acquiring all the necessary permits for the drilling project.
We are very grateful to the government, the Kenyan Teachers Service Commission and to our donors for the support extended to the Lanakakya Ivuuni Primary School and the community at large. We are committed to living up to our aspiration for Affordable Quality Education.
Donation January 27th, 2025
Various Events
